Roy Haynes Quotations

Every time I get on the bandstand, it's going to be something different. I want to do something that I've never done before.

Actually my birthday was really March 13, but when you get to be this age you do what you want to do, ... I've never had such a long birthday.

It's a shame because we depend on the Keith-Albee for a lot of our business. Without that business, this lot can't survive. We're just trying to hang on as long as possible.

Advice may not be good advice 10 or 15 years from now. Someone could tell you something years ago and it might not work now. The world is constantly changing. One word could mean something different today. Today you can't give advice to anyone.

This is my religion. I take long breaks now when I don't perform and I am not myself when I am not performing.

What advice do I tell my grandson? I listen to him.

I like to express certain things that happen in my life, the joy of spring, the birds singing and young babies coming into the world. You know, the whole thing as well as the part I'm not happy with, the sad part.

Sarah Vaughan was the Charlie Parker of the vocalists during the 1950s.

The fountain of youth with the youthful young musician is one meaning, and the fountain of youth with the youthful energy of the leader is another meaning.

You must own it to play it.

I'm still growing I take each day, one day-at-a-time. I'm always thinking and dreaming. As long as this heart keeps beating, there will be new things coming along.

There was a lot that was tricky about playing with [Thelonious Monk]. It's a musical language where there's really no lyrics. It's something you feel and you're hearing. It's like an ongoing conversation. You really had to listen to this guy. Cause he could play the strangest tempos, and they could be very in-between tempos on some of those compositions. You really had to listen to his arrangements and the way he would play them. On his solos, you'd really have to listen good in there. You'd have to concentrate on what you were doing as well.